3 workers injured after small explosion at Republic Steel

Eric Bonzar/EBonzar@morningjournal.com

Lorain Fire Department responded to a report of an explosion at Republic Steel, 1807 E. 28th St., June 16. Three employees suffered nonlife-threatening injuries while inspecting a water leak near on of the plant's furnaces, according to assistant fire Chief Gary Burls.

LORAIN — Three employees of Republic Steel were transported to Mercy Hospital with injuries not considered life threatening after a small explosion June 16.

Meanwhile, production is on hold at Republic Steel’s melt shop as employees assess damage and investigate the situation, said a statement from Paula Dudukovich, director of human resources for the company.

At 8:35 a.m., the Lorain Fire Department responded to 1807 E. 28th St. for a report of an explosion inside the plant, according to Assistant Fire Chief Gary Burls.

Republic Steel experienced an explosion in its melt shop when restarting the furnace after being shut down over the weekend, according to an official statement from the company.

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The Lorain Fire Department was called and assisted with the situation.

When firefighters arrived, three men in their 40s were being treated by LifeCare, Burls said.

Plant personnel told Burls the men were investigating a water leak when pieces of hot metal were expelled from one of the plant’s furnaces.

“When that happened, two of those individuals received burns, and one was hit in the head by a piece of flying debris,” he added.

Republic Steel confirmed three employees were transported to Mercy Hospital for treatment of burns and other injuries; by about 4:40 p.m., all three had been treated and released, according to Republic Steel.

The names of the men were not released.

“Production in the melt shop has been shut down temporarily while we assess the damage and complete our investigation,” Dudukovich said. “The health and safety of everyone in our facility is always a top priority. We are acting swiftly to put corrective measures in place to prevent future incidents.”

As of the night of June 16, Republic Steel announced damage to the melt shop was minimal and it anticipated starting production back up June 17, Dudukovich said.

Republic Steel’s electric arc furnace, an $85 million addition expected to create almost 450 jobs, has been in the works for several years. The company’s announcement to build it earned state and industry recognition and Lorain officials have praised it as one of the largest economic development projects in the city.

On April 28, Republic Steel and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration also announced a settlement with the company’s intention to improve worker safety in line with the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The settlement agreement included the Lorain steel mill and Republic Steel facilities in Canton, Massillon and Blasdell, N.Y.
In recent months the Lorain steel mill also had incidents that show melting, molding and moving huge quantities of metal remains a dangerous job.

In commemoration of Workers’ Memorial Day, the newsletter also had a list of 25 Lorain steelworkers “who put their hardhats on, went to work to support their families, and worked their last shift.”

Steelworker Gene Leighty also advocated for workers to exercise their right to refuse to work if they believe, in good faith and with objective evidence, conditions are dangerous beyond normal hazards.

He referred to an “event” that took place earlier this year “when the furnace had a breakout and the steel also burned a hole in the structural beam that supports the east end of the furnace.” It was unclear if Republic Steel ever commented publicly on that issue.

Steelworkers were thrilled with Republic Steel’s intention to invest in the future of the company, Lorain “and one of the best workforces to be found anywhere,” Leighty wrote.

“Now the fact of the matter ... we’ve been extremely fortunate that in all the incidents, no one has been seriously injured or worse,” Leighty wrote. “How many more bullets do we have to dodge before the thing all comes together and we can reasonably do our jobs without fear of being blown up or something like that?”